Electrical system installation is a one time consuming and expensive task performed during building construction and renovation. The process starts with attaching junction boxes on exposed wall studs at pre-determined locations throughout the building. The junction boxes will eventually house electrical components such as outlets and switches. Next, the electrician routes wire cable from a circuit breaker box to the junction boxes and, if required, wires individual junction boxes together. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, the wire cable is often comprised of a hot wire, a neutral wire, and a ground wire. After the wire cables are associated with their respective junction boxes, drywall is attached to the exposed studs, wherein openings are formed in the drywall to allow access to the junction boxes. Next, electrical components are placed in the junction boxes and interconnected to the wires of the wire cable. Finally, cover plates are manually installed over the electrical components.
Several inherent problems are associated with the conventional electrical system installation method. First, this method of electrical system insulation is time-consuming and often expensive because of the number of connections that must be made and made correctly. Even if the electrical component is installed correctly, the interconnected wires may separate from the electrical component when placed in the junction box. That is, the space between the rear or side surfaces of the electrical component, i.e., the location of wire interconnection, and the walls of the junction box is minimal. The wires must fit within the space, which is often very difficult, and wires often become loose or detached from the electrical component when installed within the junction box.
The standard method of electrical system installation can result in unfit and unsafe connections. More specifically, wires are often interconnected to the electrical component using conductive screws on the electrical component. Connecting wires with wire screws may leave conductive wire material exposed. This condition may go unnoticed during initial electrical system testing, but may become more pronounced over time. As wires inside junction boxes are in close proximity to each other, a short-circuit or fire may result.
In addition, junction boxes typically contain a plurality of wires, the number of which increases with circuit complexity, as in 3-way or 4-way switched circuits. As a number of wires increases, the possibility that the electrician might incorrectly interconnect wires increases. Unfortunately, if the components are incorrectly wired, the electrician must spend costly time re-wiring. Further, complex circuitry may not fit inside a conventional junction box because the numbers of wires and wire screws involved.
Electrical installation is also prone to other errors. For example, if the junction box is not properly positioned on the wall stud (i.e., positioned too far forward or back), the front of the electrical component may not be flush with the drywall. This error is very difficult to correct because at the point when the electrical component is installed, the drywall has already been installed. To access the junction box for re-positioning on the stud, a section of drywall may have to be removed and repaired.
Homeowners or remodelers also experience problems with repair or replacement of standard electrical wiring. Replacing broken outlets or switches first requires removal of the electrical component, which requires removal of wires interconnected thereto. This process is then reversed to attach the wires to a new electrical component that will be attached to the junction box. This procedure exposes the homeowner to AC wiring and, thus, a shock hazard. Further, a homeowner's reluctance to change broken devices or to spend the money to hire an electrician also creates a shock and fire hazard from continued use of cracked, broken, or excessively worn outlets or switches. In addition, the integrity of original wiring becomes questionable if a homeowner or third-party replaces an electrical device. A mis-wiring, such as inadvertently switching the hot and neutral conductors, failing to attach ground wires, kinking or nicking conductors, or improperly tightening connections, can violate building codes and create shock and fire hazards.
Thus it is a long felt need to provide an electrical system that facilitates installation and interconnection of electrical devices, such as outlets and switches to a power supply. The contemplated system of one embodiment of the present invention employs modules interconnected to the power supply. The modules received the electrical components in a safe and effective manner.